Suction cleaning apparatus



C. H. TAYLOR sucnou CLEANING APPARATUs Aug. 31, 1943.

Filed Oct. 25, 1941 INVENTOR CHARLES H. TAYLOR.

BY' W 0/ ATTOR A lfatented Aug. 31,1943

, Cli'arlesH. Taylor, Springfield, Mass.,

assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsbur- Pennsylvania gli, Pa., a corporationo! Application October 25, 1941', Serial No. 416,459

6 Claims. (01. 230-117):

This invention relates to suction cleaning apparatus and more especially to suction cleaning apparatus of the tank type, and. it has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this type.

Another object is to provide an improved motorunit for a tank type cleaner.

A still further object is to provide an improved arrangement for dissipating the heat generated incident to the operation of the motor.

A further object is to provide an improved resilient support for the fan and motor.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal viewof a cleaner embodying this invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line II--II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1, with parts broken away; and,

Fig. 41s a partial section taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1 showing the valve for permitting closed circuit flow of the air in open position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the suction cleanerincludes a longitudinal cylindrical casing in having an end cap II which has an inlet opening I 2 therein and an end cap l3 which has an outlet opening ll therein. This casing encloses a fan unit l6 for drawing air into the casing through the inlet opening and forcing it out through the outlet opening, a'motor unit H for driving the fan unit, and a dust bag ill for filtering dirt out of the air passed through the casing. A hose l9 may be connected to the inlet opening l2 when the cleaner is used for cleaning by suction or it may be attached to the outlet opening l4 when the cleaner is used for blowing. A pair of runners 26 are provided for supporting the cleaner horizontally above a surface.

The fan unit I6 and the motor unit I! are assembled as a unit outside of the casing Ill and are inserted therein as a sub-assembly. Means are provided for resiliently'supporting the subassembly spaced centrally from the walls of the to absorb vibrations. The cleaning air discharged from the fan housing also passes through these openings in order to exit from the casing I0. These holes are located approximately midway between theinner and the outer edges of the ring 21 and are equally spaced circumferentially. The ring 26 is held at its inner edge between flanges 29 and 30 which are attached to the motor unit by any suitable means. The outer edge of the ring 21 is clamped between a flange 3| on the casing l0 and a shoulder.32 on the end cap 13. When assembling the cleaner, the end cap I3 is forced down onto the ring 21 with enough .force tocompress the edge of the ring so that an airtight joint between the flange 3| and the shoulder 32 is provided. The cap I 3 is held in position by screws 33 that engage screw-threaded holes in the casing Ill. The rubber tube 25 encircles the forward end of the fan unit l6. This tube is positioned on the end of the fan unit before the sub-assembly is positioned in the casing l0, and it may be collapsed by hand to insert it in the casing I0 past the flange 3|. After the sub-assembly is positioned in the casing ID, the coil spring 26 holds the tube 25 expanded in airtight relation against the inner side of the wall of the casing l0 and against the outer side of the wall of the fan unit I6. I

The fan unit l6 includes a cylindrical housing member 35 which encloses a fan. This housing member is attached to an end wall member 36 by screw 31 or some other suitable means. The fan includes stationaryblade elements 38 which are carried by the housing member 35 and rotary blade elements 39 which are mounted on an extension of a motor shaft 40. The member 36 has a plurality of holes 4| therein through which air I drawn into the fan housing 35 by the fan is discasing l0 so that vibrations set up incident to positioned on the fan unit l6 and a rubber ring or disc 21 which i attached to the motor unit ll. The ring 21 has a' plurality of holes 28 therein to increase its flexibility and increase its ability charged. These holes are located near the periphery of the member 36 and they are equally spaced circumferentially. A final filter element 42 is positioned in the forward end of the housing 35. Thi element removes some of the fine dirt or dust that might pass through the dust bag I8.

The motor unit I! includes a cup-shaped airtight casing 44 in which is mounted a universal type electric motor having a stator 45 and a rotor 46. In the embodiment shown, the motor casing is stamped out of a single piece. However, it will be understood that it may be formed of several pieces so long as it is airtight. The

open end of the cup-shaped motor casing is fastened to the member 36 by,some means that provides an airtight connection.- In the emthe fan housing 35 and is supported by a hearing 41 which is carried by the member 36. A

washer 46 of felt or some other suitable material is provided adjacent the bearing 41 to provide an air and dirt-tight seal to prevent dirt from entering the motor housing through the motor shaft opening. It is desirable to keep ,the cleaning air-out of the motor casing because it usually contains some remaining dust particles which cause the commutator of the motor to unnecessarily wear and also damage the winding of the motor and in time may clog up the air gap between the stator and the rotor. A tubular heat transfer device or fin 49 for rapidly dissipating the heat generated incident to the operation of the motor is attached to the motor casing M by welding or some other suitable means. This fin extends into the path of the air discharged from the openings 4] in the end wall member 36. The discharged air passes over both sides of the fin unobstructed, the pressure difierential between the intake side and the exhaust side of the fan will be insufficient to overcome the force of the spring 56 which will hold the flap 52 closed against 'the port 50. In this instance, the airdischarged from the fan will be forced out or the casing l through the outlet opening l4. When the cleaner is operating with the outlet opening l4 obstructed, such as might happen when blowing, the pressure on the dischargeside of the fan will build up until the pressure differential between the intake side and the discharge side of the fan becomes sufficient to overcome the force of the spring 56 and move the flap 52 to open the valve 50 and permit closed-circuit fiow of the air as described above. In a like manner. it the inlet of the hose. l9 became clogged during cleaning by suction, the valve 50 will open to permit closed-circuit flow of the air inside the casing Ill. The pressure at which thevalve 50 will open to permit closed-circuit flow of the air may be regulated by selecting a spring 56 that has the desired strength.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing, it'is seen that this invention provides a tank-type suction cleaner .9 (for a substantial length of the motor casing 44) at a high velocity and picks up heat from the fin and conveys itto the outside of the cleaner.

When the cleaner is used for cleaning by suction the cleaning air passes through the casingv l6 approximately along the path indicated by the solid arrows in Fig. 1.

.When the cleaner is used for blowing, the outlet opening l4 might become obstmcted so as to permit only a smallquantity of air to be discharged. If this should happen the motor would probably heat up beyond the desired operating temperature due to the fact that there would be very little air moving past the fin 19 to take heat away from the motor. To prevent the motor from overheating in such a case a valve indicated generally by the reference character 50 is provided in the fan housing member which automatically opens when the pressure on I the outside of the fan housing reaches a predetermined value to permit the air discharged from the fan housing to flow in a closed circuit. The path of this circuit is substantially as indicated by the dotted arrows in Fig. 1, that is, through the holes 4| in the end wall member 36, adjacent the fin 49, against the inner surface of the wall of the casing l0 through, the valve into the fan housing 35 where the fan again forces it through the same path. When the air flows in this path, it takes heat from the motor unit and carries it to the wall of the casing III, which is colder than themotor casing M, where it can be radiated and converted to the ambient atmosphere. This arrangement is also effective to dissipate the heat generated by the compression of the air.

The valve 50 includes a port 5| in the fan housing 35 and a flap 52 for opening and closingthe port. The flap 52 is positioned on the inside of the fan housing member 35 and is pivoted thereto at 53. A pin 54 is attached to the-flap 52-and extends through the fan housing member. This pin has a pressure plate 55 thereon When the-cleaner is operating under normal conditions, that is, with the outlet opening ll having an improved motor and an improved arrangement for dissipating the heat generated incidentsto the operation of the motor. It also provides an improved resilient mounting for the fan and motor unit.

While I have shown the invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, a fan unit in said casing, said fan unit including a fan and a housing enclosing the samefa motor unit in said casing, a valve in said fan housing that automatically opens when the flow of air through said outlet opening becomes obstructed, said valve permitting the air to flow in aclosed circuit, said circuimbeing adjacent the motor unit and against the inner surface. of the Wall of said casing and through said valve and back into the fan housing, said closed circuit flow of the air serving to transmit the heat generated incident to the operation of the motor to the walls of the' pressure differential between the inside and the outside of said, fan housing, said valve permit ting air to flow in a closed circuit, said circuit being adjacent the motor unit and against the inner surface of the wall of said casing and through said valve and back into said fan housing, said closed circuit flow of the air serving to transmit the heat generated incident to the operation of the motor and the compression of the air to the walls of the casing where it is radiated and conducted to the ambient atmosphere. 3. A suction cleaner comprising an air filter;

a fan for efi'ecting flow of a stream of air, a motor for driving said fan, means providing a path for said air stream extending through said fan, said filter and in contact with said motor to cool the same, and valve means opened in response to a condition caused by obtruction to flow of air through said path to provide a second path for flow of air through said fan and in contact with said motor to cool the same.

4. The structure recited in claim 3 in which 10 said valve means includes a normally closed pressure-responsive member adapted to be opened by air pressure.

5. A suction cleaner as recited in claim 3 in which said fan and said motor are enclosed in an outer casing, and in which the flow of air 15 of said outer casing. 1

through said second path is in contact with the exterior of said fan and said motor and with the interior of said casing, to dissipate heat through the wall of said casing.

6. A suction cleaner as recited in claim 3 in which said fan is enclosed in a housing having an outlet discharging in the vicinity of the exterior of said motor, in which said motor and said fan housing are both enclosed within an outer casing, and in which the flow of air through said second path is in contact with the I exterior of said motor, the exterior of said fan housing and the interior of said outer casing, to dissipate the heat of said motor through the wall CHARLES H. TAYLOR. 

